Crate



A; L.. WHITON Nov. 12, 1935.

Filed Feb. l5, 1935' Patented Nov. 12', 14935.

UNITED STATES CRATE Arthur L. Whiton, Evanston, Ill., a'ssignor to Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application February 15, 1935, Serial No. 6,657 2 Claims. (Cl. 217-12) Ihe present invention relates to a wire bound shipping crate, the ends of which are partially closed by dovetailed cross sectioned end bars which are engageable in dovetailed slots provided in opposite end cleats of the crate.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved shipping crate having end cleats provided with dovetailed grooves for the reception of the ends of beveled end bars.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a shipping crate including closure slats of dovetailed uniform cross section from end to end for removable engagement in dovetailed slots provided in opposite wall cleats of the crate.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved shipping crate including a wire bound type body section provided with intertting cleats to form end frames adapted to be partially closed by removable beveled slats or bars, the ends of which are insertable in suitable dovetailed grooves provided in opposite slots of the end frame cleats.

Other and further important objects will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shipping crate in closed form including beveled end slats embodying an important feature of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on line II-IIVof Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the inner face of one of the end slats or bars.

As shown on the drawing:

The improved shipping crate is of the wire bound type, and in the form illustrated in Figure 1, is of the tapered type. The crate comprises a body portion constructed from a wire bound mat made up of slats l of wood or other suitable material connected by means of binding. Wires 2 attached to the slats by means of staples 3 or the like. The slats I are connected together in groups by means of top cleats 4, bottom cleats 5 and side cleats 6. Each of the cleats 4,' 5 and is provided with a tenon or tongue at one end and a mortise in the opposite end to permit intertting of the ends of the cleats when the crate is in assembled form as illustrated in Figure 1. The ends of the binding wires 2 are bent over to provide locking loops 'l for holding the crate locked in closed position.

Each of the top wall cleats 4 and the bottom wall cleats 5 in substantially the middle portion of the inner wall thereof is provided with a dove- 5 tailed slot or groove 8 as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, and the outer end of each of the dovetailed grooves 8 is closed by means of one of the crate slats I.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 1, the end cleats 10 4, 5 and 6 when in assembled relation form an open end frame for the crate, and in order to partially close the end frame opening, a removable brace bar or cross slat 9 is provided in intertting relation with the top and bottom wall cleats 15 4 and 5. Each of the cross bars 9 has the longitudinal edges thereof planed o-r cut olf to provide the side beveled edges l0 which extend from one end of the cross bar to the other, thereby providing a cross bar of dovetailed cross section 20 from end to end. This uniform dovetailed crosssectioned type of end cross bars or slats obviates the necessity of providing projections or the likel on the ends o-f the cross pieces or slats to t into openings in the cleats oi a crate, since25 the dovetailed end portions of the dovetailed slats are permitted to project directly into the dovetailed slots 8 provided in the upper and lower cleats 4 and 5 respectively forming the end frames of the crate. 1t win thus be noted that 30 the full cross-section of the end cross pieces or slats project into the grooves 8 which being of dovetail shape prevents the slats from moving out o1 the inner sides of the grooved cleats. 5 As clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the end cross bars or slats 9 are prevented from shifting longitudinally by the middle slats of the top and bottom walls of the crate which act as closures for the outer ends of the grooves 8 and as stops for 0 the ends of the cross bars 9. With the full crosssection of the ends of the end cross bars 9 projecting into the dovetailed slots 8, a crate of increased strength is provided with the` top and bottom walls of the crate acting as means for 45 clamping'the end cross bars 9 in position when the crate is in closed or assembled form as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. No nails or retaining means are required for Vholding the end cross bars 9 in place. 50

It will of course be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon other- 55 l '1. In a collapsible crate, a multi-section mat,V 5 Vthe sections of which are adapted to belrnoved Y relative to each other to form the sides, top and bottom of the crate, andra relatively narrow end piece Vfor the crate having dovetailedconnec-tions Y With opposite sections of said mat, Vsaid dovetailed 1() connections being provided by opposite dovetailed slots in said opposite sections and by dovetailed kend portions of said end piece, said slots being in edges of said sections and being arranged to" prevent lateral movement oisaid end portions as s Well as to interlock said end piece to said mat when the crate is assembled. A

25111 a crate, a multipled walled body, and aV Y relatively narrow end piece of uniform dovetailed Y cross section throughout itsV length and having dovetailed connections with two Walls of the body, Y

said dovetailed connections being provided by dovetailed slots in said two walls and bythe dovetailed end portions of saidend piece, said slots being in edges of saidtwo walls and being air-'10 vranged to prevent lateral movementz of said endVV portions'as Well asto interlock said end piece in an end of said body. Y

Y ARTHUR L. WHlTON. .Y -V 

